Jennifer Lawrence has drawn scathing criticism for an anecdote she told on the BBC, about disrespecting local customs while shooting in Hawaii.

In a recent interview, Lawrence told a story about “butt-scratchin’” on rocks that are considered sacred to native Hawaiians, while shooting The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2012.

“There were … sacred … rocks — I dunno, they were ancestors, who knows — they were sacred,” said Lawrence. “And you’re not supposed to sit on them, because you’re not supposed to expose your genitalia to them.

She told the anecdote on The Graham Norton Show, where she was promoting her upcoming film Passengers with co-star Chris Pratt, and appearing with Jamie Oliver. (Vox noted that Lawrence shared the same story with Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan in January 2013.)

Though the episode broadcast on 3 December, the clip started drawing criticism online on Wednesday, with social media users condemning Lawrence for her apparently wilful disregard for sacred customs.

The clip has been viewed more than 1m times on BBC One’s Facebook page. A tweet labelling it “the whitest story ever told” had been shared more than 1,000 times.